In All Universes, It's You
by insouciance18
Summary: Of course for Yamato, it's Mimi in all universes. A collection of oneshots in different alternate universes.
1. Get Digitized: A Backstage Pass to the H

**Author's Note:** Hello, Mimatoreos! I've written this story for four days now and finally satisfied with it. I hope you are too. The idea is not entirely mine and adapted from different inspirations listed at the end of the story. Also, this would be a collection of oneshots set in different universes. Enjoy and leave a review.

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 **Get Digitized: A Backstage Pass to the Hottest Rock Band of the Century, The Destined!**

"In some kind of alternate universe, we were destined to save the world" was the response by drummer Taichi Yagami when I sat down with them in between a photoshoot and asked about the band's name. Front man, Mimi Tachikawa only snickered on the response and bassist Yamato Ishida appeared to subtly roll his eyes.

The Destined, probably the It rock band in the scene, was literally a name no one had ever heard of two years ago. The four-membered band had a fair share amount of followers prior to their big hit but not enough for them to instantly rocket themselves in to the top of the charts. Perhaps the entire nation knows about their success stories but the story behind the faces of magazine covers and the beginnings of the band is unknown to everyone – until now.

Yamato Ishida was a different story. He was well known before the album Digitized topped the Oricon chart in Japan. Alluring and dark Yamato Ishida was already making a name for himself when he was in high school fronting a band called Teenage Wolves. The name intrigues us but the bassist refuses to comment about it. But in some kind of twisted fate, the group kicks him out of his own band their senior year when they were finally getting a larger audience. I asked Yamato about the reasons behind it and Yamato says that he was probably too handsome for the band but Taichi affectionately wraps his arms around the blond and comments about control-freaks and some vulgar words that needs to be censored for our young readers.

Frustrated and enraged by the fact of being sacked, Yamato turned to songwriting. Letting his fury out in his songs. Within months, he was able to form a band of his own called Knife of Day. By the time he started college, everyone would come up to him on a Friday just to ask him which underground resto bar his band would play on Saturday night. It was a creative process to him because he was getting in touch with his songwriting more than ever. He played with the idea of writing his past in to his songs. The blond tells us that having Christmas at your father's apartment complex and New Year's at your mother's big mansion was actually a beneficial source of inspiration to most of his songs at that time. The only female member of the The Destined just snorts and mutters "angsty teenager" to which the bassist ignores.

Despite being popular at the time and playing small gigs for two years straight, Knife of Day disbanded. Record labels were actually interested in them and they were on their way to signing contracts. Apparently not all of the members had seriously thought of the band as something other than a recreational activity to them. Most of them intended to finish college first before actually doing anything. Albeit enthusiastic, Yamato was actually against the thought of juggling life as a celebrity and life as a Tokyo University Physics major. The decisions affected the band and instead of continuing making music while putting their rockstar dreams on hold, the band went in to an indefinite hiatus.

On his last year of college, Yamato was pretty sure Knife of Day was over. And so he asked his childhood friend and roommate, later The Destined drummer, Taichi Yagami to start a band with him. The brunette confesses he was never the musically talented one but more of the athlete. He learned to play the drums back in high school in an attempt to compete with his blond best friend. It appeared that women dig the bad boy musicians in that time. In spite of being an above average drummer, the thought of forming a band was ludicrous to him. Taichi was on the way to training with the national football team and had no time with other activities. So he flat out refused his friend.

The refusal didn't discourage the bassist but only made him more persistent. And so Taichi would sometimes give in to the blond and play with songs in their dorm's garage. And the drummer agrees that it's a relief from all the pressure soccer throws at him. Taichi cites one evening where they wrote the song Tennis Skirt within three hours. As any fan of the band would know, Tennis Skirt is the fourth song from The Destined's self-titled debut album. But as Taichi recalls that one particular song, there might be some hidden stories behind it.

Back in high school, Taichi and Yamato pined for the attention of the tennis club captain who later becomes Yamato's ex-girlfriend and Taichi's current girlfriend. In that night in college, they sat in front of the television, sipping beers. Randomly, they talked about Sora Takenouchi and her pretty tennis skirt that rides up naughtily when she hits the ball with her racket. And thus, the innocently dirty song Tennis Skirt was brought to life. Surprisingly, when I asked about tension between the two regarding their relationship with the girl, the two would laugh it off. Yamato might have just side glanced towards the rose golden haired singer. But that might just be me. Don't fret, we'll get to this later.

Taichi then left for training camp leaving behind his undergrad studies to finally commit to soccer. Yamato was again abandoned with no band and no roommate. And so, the blond decided that music might not just be for him and thought to pursue his dream as an astrophysicist. But a certain frat party on the first day of spring break had him face to face with then brunette Mimi Tachikawa. Indifference was inevitable. As keyboardist Koushiro Izumi would say, "She was too carefree and he was aloof. Of course they would be at each other's throats."

The party was a blast and everyone obviously was still bummed that Knife of Day wasn't planning on reuniting anymore. And when the brooding bassist arrived at the party, people were urging him to perform. And he wouldn't let the opportunity pass, so he sang a cover of The 1975's She's American. When he stepped out of the make shift stage in front of the television hooked to a karaoke machine, his confidence in his music was definitely regained.

Until the first beat of Halsey's Hold Me Down started playing and a soft voice began singing, hitting every note from the song. In Yamato's defense, he wasn't trained to sing at a very young age. Mimi would scoff and say that it was all pure talent. Despite the irritation and envy Yamato felt towards Mimi, they were able to have a decent conversation in the frat house's attic. How they got there they can't remember. Mimi was pretty sure Yamato was trying to hook up with her and says that if Yamato was to be asked, she was sure he would deny it. Yamato just shrugs the statement off and says, "If that makes you happy, sure."

And so the two hit it off from there. Competing with each other but bonding through music. Despite being the frontman in all of the bands he was in, Yamato gave the status to Mimi Tachikawa whom he later discovers is from America, a parallel to Yamato's cover to She's American.

Yamato might be the Cinderella of the group with his own rise from the ashes story. Mimi Tachikawa is the complete reverse. She admits to being privileged and spoiled at a young age. Given everything from the beginning but never the chance to pursue a career in music. Although, she was trained vocally, it was meant to pass time and nothing else. Her father once thought that Mimi would just outgrow the silly dreams and will soon realize that it was nothing but, to quote their first single, castles in the sky. And so Mimi high-tailed to Japan for college and left America to break free from her father's clutches.

Her mother's side of the family was welcoming enough to adopt her as their own. Mimi comments that her entire college life was spent being estranged with her father and partial to her mother. Luckily, her childhood neighbor turned best friend and The Destined keyboardist, Koushiro Izumi was there to help her fit in.

Now, Koushiro Izumi is the odd one. He was a computer science major that would have been the next Mark Zuckerberg if given the chance to pursue it. But as much as he was good with the computer keyboard, he was a prodigy in the piano. Taichi gives out a comment about good fingers and other obscure things that they were good for. Whatever the hell that meant. Actually, Koushiro was playing everywhere in their small town at a very young age. His passion for music started at such a raw age that he was able to choose music rather than a practical career path.

And thus Yamato, Mimi and Koushiro started an unnamed band. They weren't actually big but their Youtube videos were pretty popular. The band cited some funny comments on their most viewed video which was a cover of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven. A few were:

"A girl knows Led Zeppelin? She's hot though."

"Yamato is my stairway to heaven."

"Koushiro's fingers. OMG. Koushiro's fingers."

"Dude, you guys need a drummer."

And then a month before Yamato's graduation, Taichi comes back from training camp. His brunette friend was sporting a shoulder length hair, bushier than ever. He was buff and tan. When he arrived at their dorm, he was welcomed by Yamato on the floor writing songs, Mimi on Yamato's bed flipping through Yamato's copy of A Picture of Dorian Gray and Koushiro was typing away in his laptop on the couch. Taichi says that it was odd seeing a hot girl, a technology-whiz and a lone wolf in one room. And so he recalls the only words that crossed his mind at the time and it was, "What alternate universe is this?"

As it turned out, Taichi was not in the run for a spot in the national team. Not yet, anyway. He was to train again the following year. He was discouraged by the turn of events what with stopping college and jobless at the time. While waiting for the camp, he joins the band on a whim. Called themselves The Destined and within a year, signed a contract with their current recording label.

Taichi who grew in love with music in the process, didn't return for training camp the following year. He admits that he still has doubts on his career path but never regretted his decision. Because he might not love music as much as soccer but he was with the people he loves the most. Koushiro scowls, Mimi pinches his cheeks and Yamato grunted.

I would have to end my article here but luckily I was given the chance to hop in to their tour bus for their Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Shizuoka and finally Tokyo concerts. The magazine was ecstatic on the prospect and I couldn't complain. I was to cover the group in their natural habitat. It was a well-known fact that after this tour, The Destined would kick-off their super stardom status and start an Asian tour.

The tour bus was exactly as anyone would imagine it and upon entering, one would expect to find the band in a state of panic and running through the night's setlist. But what greeted me was Yamato Ishida sleeping in at a rather large couch in one corner with Mimi Tachikawa beside him stroking his hair with her right hand while the left was holding her phone in front of her. Sadly to the popular Mimato fandom, no cuddling occurred and it was simply platonic. Taichi Yagami was playing with a soccer ball, bouncing it from his left knee to his right and back again. Koushiro Izumi was talking to their bespectacled manager.

Koushiro Izumi was the accommodating type. When everyone noticed my presence, Mimi gave out a toothy grin, Taichi nodded swiftly, their manager shrugged but Koushiro offered a stool and asked if I liked coffee or tea. Now that I'm seeing them away from the cameras put up when I interviewed them the week before, I suddenly noticed how young they were. Manager, included.

I observed the room. It wasn't of the grandeur type. On one corner was the large couch and in front of it was a flat screen television. On the other corner was a table paired with diner-type chairs. Opposite it were counters with junk food on top of it. An espresso maker was lying in the heaps of all the scattered food. Beside the counters was a huge double door refrigerator. There was a door that led to a bedroom and I could make out bunk beds inside.

Taichi placed his soccer ball on top of the counter and offered a tour of the bus which I gladly took. Apparently, their bus wasn't made for visitors so Taichi tells me that I would be crashing on their couch. We enter their bedroom and rows of bunk beds welcomed me. All of them were taken since the crew were sleeping there too. A small bathroom connected to the bedroom. Going back to the main room, we crossed the hallway to open another door that lead to the area where they place their instruments. A few computer monitors lay on top of the study tables. Taichi tells me that Koushiro hangs around the place almost every time, so if I were to come looking for him, I would find him there. It was a common knowledge that Koushiro loves to produce music in that place.

I sensed the band's discomfort on my first day with them. I could tell they were tipping their toes every time I was around. It is after all a natural reaction to someone you suddenly share living quarters with. But despite their discomfort, before their show in Osaka, they huddled in a circle and each of them had a shot glass filled with tequila in hand. Their manager, Miyako Inoue, says that it is a tradition for them to take a shot before the show and it's a common occurrence to see the four of them drinking.

The setlist for the show consisted mainly of The Destined's current album but also a few of the popular songs from their debut album. The songs were as follows:

Castles in the Sky

Tennis Skirt

Digital Monsters

There's a Rose That Blooms in Winter

Within You, There Were Doubts

Broken Home

Brave Young One

Real World

What's a Few Raindrops Between Friends?

Homecoming

Ice Running Through Their Vein

You Can't Have Friendship Without Sincerety

Disconnected

Digitized

To say that the concert was a success was an understatement. I have to give it to the band for singing songs without breaks except when they interact with the fans and make fun of each other. I have been to one of The Destined's concerts before but never have I seen the songs for what they truly were. Each song spoke the minds of its songwriters. Like Digital Monsters, whom everyone in the group contributed to its making, was meant to throw shade to the netizens who act like they know the band in real life. It linked how they were the monsters in the digital world. Later, I found out that the idea behind it was from Koushiro. Of course, Koushiro is the brain behind their music.

Taichi's energy never seemed to run out. Each time he finishes his song, he always rejuvenates himself and hits his drums harder than ever. While Koushiro is admittedly shy, Yamato is too absorbed on the next song from the set, Mimi is breathless from all the singing, Taichi is the one who sets the mood and evokes laughter from the crowd.

Mimi speaks the same way she sings, pouring out her soul into each syllable. Her raspy voice mixed with a slow vibrato makes you want to think of jazz clubs but not quite. The band is a mix of rock, pop and indie. The brunette's voice is a play to the genre. And it is probably the reason The Destined is so successful. They love to play at different varieties, making sure they are not labeled in one category.

But mixing Mimi and Yamato's voice is an absolute delight. The only duet from the set, You Can't Have Friendship Without Sincerety, is a gift to all the hardcore "shippers". I have never seen Mimi and Yamato other than being Mimi and Yamato separately but for once I see why people pair them together. They're like each other's last puzzle piece. They finish each other's sentences. And it's as if they have this psychic powers. On their duet, Yamato sings the first verse of the song rather than Mimi and it puzzles the crowd. When the duet ends, the frontman apologizes for the mishap. Yamato who not once spoke with Mimi throughout the entire song says that their precious princess has worn herself out. The crowd goes wild.

And like any band, the group ends the night with celebratory drinks. Tequila is definitely The Destined's poison because evidently they never ran out of supply. They were sitting on the main room's floor, forming a circle. Taichi offers me shots after shots and I'm afraid, I can't keep up with the band's alcohol tolerance. But I was able to hold my own just enough to give the readers a peek of The Destined's drinking habits.

While all of us expects Taichi to be alcohol invincible in appearance as well as in soul, it's Koushiro who remains sober the entire time. When Taichi is mimicking Yamato by random air-guitar movements, Koushiro is the one who is still true to character and pouring drinks. Surprisingly, Yamato a lightweight. The normally standoffish bassist is chattier when alcohol is in his system. He participates in debates and would argue with anyone who contradicts his ideas. On the other hand, Mimi is Koushiro's contender. I have witnessed her to be witty and playful. The difference between normal Mimi and tipsy Mimi is that she's more playful and wittier than usual. She loves to tease anyone and the other members would get flustered at her comments. Anyone would be too, especially when under a pretty girl's torment.

I passed out on the floor before everyone does and there's no shock that the four of them can hold their drinks, Yamato included. When I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, I see everyone didn't make it to their beds. Taichi occupied the entire couch, Koushiro's sitting on the diner-type chairs and his head resting on the table, and the rest of the crew were everywhere else. I heard soft strumming of a guitar. Peaking with one eye to search for the sound, I see Yamato with his guitar on the far end of the room. Mimi was sitting next to him, coffee in one hand, pencil on the other. Mimi notices me watching them and she offers a small smile before I drift back to sleep.

The tour went on normally until the night before the Nagoya show. Taichi's girlfriend and Yamato's ex-girlfriend who is also an up and coming fashion stylist pays a visit to the bus. The moment she entered the bus, Mimi's the one who comes running towards her. The red head was momentarily off-balance but immediately regained composure. Taichi follows Mimi's lead and they were in a tight group hug. Mimi pushes off Taichi and drags Sora to the bedroom, demanding girl-time because she was tired of all the slobs she lived with.

I asked Taichi about the sudden turn of events and the brunette tells me that Sora and Mimi immediately became best friends the moment they met. Sora, Taichi and Yamato were good friends in high school but Sora had to leave for fashion school, opting to study at Bunka Fukusou Gakuen. They sort of drifted apart in their college years. The three were reunited a night before The Destined's first album dropped. Yamato called Sora and told her that they need to talk in person. Taichi explains that it was weird at the time because he was apparently still harboring feelings for the fashionista but maintained a safe distance to respect his blond best friend. They met up and told Sora about the slightly inappropriate song they wrote for her. She was embarrassed and angry at first. Eventually, she waved it off and decided that it was cool for them to write a song about her.

Taichi and Sora hit it off when Yamato told Taichi to man up. Apparently, Yamato noticed them sneaking off in between practices and bickering more than usual. I asked Yamato for his opinion about the "Taiora" romance, he told me that he was ecstatic for them. He added that he and Sora dated when they were really young and naïve. Both of them weren't serious at the time. But seeing Tai and Sora together, he believes that it could be the real deal. I sneaked a question to him about Mimi but before he can answer Taichi groans in a playful manner. "It's always about them. It's like Kou and I are some kind of background", Taichi says. Noticing my discomfort, Koushiro tells me that Taichi is just joking and I don't bother to repeat my question.

The Destined was getting the hang of me by then and I truly saw them for what they were. They were normal teenagers living life as rock stars. I usually find them in front of the television. I noticed that they have their individual schedules with it. Taichi had the morning slot to watch soccer. Mimi had the evening one for her American soap replays. Koushiro and Yamato would usually watch documentaries together. But all of four of them would gather together to watch any anime in any time of the day.

I also noticed how caring they were of each other. The men takes care of Mimi in some kind of patriarchal way. Mimi admittedly takes advantage of the situation. She asks Taichi to massage her feet, Koushiro to prepare food for her and Yamato to wash the dishes when it's her turn to wash them. And the three wouldn't even argue with it. There were also times where they are protective of each other. When they feel like my questions were too personal, anyone would randomly evade the question by cracking jokes or leave out sarcastic remarks. Despite knowing that I have the acceptance of the group, it's Koushiro's "You're okay." that makes me at ease. There is definitely something about smart and intimidating people.

When we were on Tokyo for their last day of the tour, it coincided with Mimi's birthday. The band were celebrating it the night before and when the clock hit midnight, Taichi, Koushiro and Yamato engulfed the frontman in a tight hug. They gave her a huge cake decorated with crowns and right after Mimi blows the candles, Taichi digs his hands in to the cake and lightly pushes his hands on Mimi's face. Miyako lectures them the morning after. She stated that they couldn't afford a bad hair day on the actual concert day.

Everyone retired early on the eve of Mimi's birthday. When I approached my make-shift bed, I was astonished to find the lightweight Yamato sitting on it while scribbling on his notebook. I tell him to continue, I didn't want to interrupt him while he was on his zone. A couple of minutes later, he closes his notebook and stares blankly at the cover. I see the huge crown that decorated it.

"You and Mimi seem to write songs together." I state, absentmindedly.

Before I can catch what I was insinuating, Yamato said, "Mimi and I get each other. We're so different yet so alike. I grew up with Taichi and it might seem obvious that I would be comfortable around him. But no, it's Mimi who rationalize everything and see things for what they actually are and translate them in to a song. She's better about my feeling than myself sometimes."

I see apprehension in Yamato's eyes and it might be because he might have said things that he shouldn't have but I take no heed to it. It is after all their personal lives. Yamato clears his throat and says defensively, "She has a wonderful voice, in any case."

And I don't question any further.

On their Tokyo concert, they went with their usual setlist. Ballads usually don't have breaks in between them. To the surprise of the crowd, the first ballad song Homecoming was discontinued halfway through the song. Koushiro went backstage to grab a pink cowboy hat and said that it wouldn't be a Mimi birthday without her hat from childhood.

Taichi tells Mimi that Koushiro told them about her favorite hat and asked her parents from America to send it down to Japan for her birthday. Mimi's eyes turned somewhat bleary. Yamato took it as a cue to sing in her place.

"This one's for you, princess." Yamato said, eyes never leaving the rose golden haired singer.

Tokyo was their largest crowd and would be their last performance in Japan for a while. They were scheduled to fly to Korea after a month of rest and would be producing and recording songs there. They gave their thanks to their fans. Taichi removed his sweaty tank top and threw it to the crowd. He made his way to the front row and took a photo of himself from a fan's camera. Koushiro gave his bracelet to a girl from the right upper box chairs. Yamato flicked his guitar pick to the crowd. And Mimi tossed her star-studded headband to the left upper box chairs.

When the four of them finally went to the back of the stage, a pretty short haired brunette jumped in to Taichi's arms. At first I thought it was Sora but instantly recognized Taichi's younger sister, Kari. Behind her was Takeru, children's book writer and Yamato Ishida's younger brother. The two were said to be dating but Yamato and Taichi refuse to acknowledge that fact.

The four gathered themselves in to a group hug. Taichi was still pumped up as he jumped up and down, Kari still tucked underneath his arms. Koushiro was at a corner discussing with Takeru. As I turned around to congratulate them, I see Yamato snaking his arms in Mimi's waist and giving her a quick peck to the lips.

I might have been obvious with my reaction because all of them were laughing, Kari and Takeru included. I wanted to ask them questions like how long has it been going and why were they so adamant on hiding it but no words escaped me and I was left in a stuttering mess.

"Been going on for almost two years now." Yamato said, as if reading my mind.

"Sorry, we wanted to give you a great story. Can't spoil everything from the start. Koushiro's idea actually." Mimi added.

Snippets of the past few days flashed in my mind. The early morning song writings, Taichi evading questions, Yamato suddenly nervous when giving his insights about Mimi. Of course, why wouldn't they be? After all, it only makes sense.

"Told you, it was all about them. Never about me and Kou." Taichi pouts while slapping me hard on the back.

I reviewed their schemes and gave out a loud laugh.

"No, it's about all of you."

They laugh and it suddenly hit me that I still didn't know why their band name is The Destined.

 _\- Jyou Kido, ViVi Magazine_

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 **Author's Note:** 4659 words in total. This is probably my longest oneshot ever. I'm actually happy about this but can't say much for the mistakes I'm sure I haven't corrected. Especially the tenses. It's so hard to write in first person. In addition, I'm not sure about the system in Japan in terms of spring break and summer break. I just googled the one in the US because it's easier to understand. Research for this story is also one of the factors it took so long to finish. Anyways, leave out a review guys, it would really mean a lot.

Just a question, can you guys pinpoint the songs written by Yamato, Mimi, Taichi or Koushiro?

 **INSPIRATIONS:**

5 Seconds of Summer concert in Manila (Luke gave his guitar pick, Ashton his drumsticks, Michael gave his bracelet)

2PM concert in Manila (Taecyeon took a random girl's phone to take a picture of himself, lucky girl)

So Nyeo Shi Dae's concert fanvideos (The group has this tradition of caking your face if it's your birthday)

The Feel-Good Hit Song of the Summer by disco_vendetta (brinn) (The idea was adapted from her story, I take no credit of the idea)

Halsey and The 1975's frontman Matthew Healy (There's this story about their romance in the internet that makes me fangirl them. They were said to be dating before Halsey because really popular. Some of their song reference each other)

Arashi Japan Tour (I didn't know what the normal routes for touring in Japan hence I googled one of the biggest Japanese acts that I know)

 **TERMINOLOGY:**

Oricon - supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. Like the Billboard in the US

Bunka Fukusou Gakuen – actually a real Fashion school in Japan. Said to be the best.

ViVi Magazine - a popular fashion magazine in Japan. Let's just say it's their version of Vogue.


	2. Soulmates

Author's Notes: This was inspired by a prompt I saw in tumblr and I just had to write it. Here's the Soulmate AU that no one asked for. I apologize in advance to all mistakes I haven't corrected.

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SOULMATES

Soulmates exists. Soulmates are common. Soulmates are identified by marks appearing on your skin when another person writes on theirs. According to legend, it can happen only after you turn eighteen. The exact date is unknown so long as the person decides to write on any part of their body. It is said that it doesn't happen during your childhood because the universe allows you to find your soulmate before faith finds it for you.

It took nine months after her eighteenth birthday for her to be aware that her soulmate is out somewhere in the world writing words on their skin. Mimi Tachikawa was cramming for her exams before finally giving up and flopping herself on her dorm's big pink bed. Rubbing her eyes to relieve the stress, she noticed the words dancing around her palm. She didn't feel any pressure, no ache from pen meeting flesh. It might have frightened her where it not for the magical way it marred her skin. The writing was neat, slightly slanted and a bit too sharp as opposed to her loopy scrawls. The moment transpired too brisk, almost fleeting, and Mimi wanted to drag the time to eternity just so she can watch it forever.

" _The sky has fallen_

 _The ground has been shaken_

 _Tell me,_

 _How do you keep standing still?"_

She took in the writings on her palm, comprehending each word like she's learning them the first time. The words encompassed the entire span of her palm, just centimeters away from meeting her wrist. After the fascination washed over her, dread came after. She rushed to her bathroom to scrub it off, but alas, was futile. And so, Mimi finds herself lying on her bed once more and tracing her fingers along the marks.

 _How can someone be so articulate, so gifted_ _yet be so tormented_?, she asks the world in a silent whisper.

It might have been a new song she hasn't heard or a poem she hasn't read but telling herself that did not quite sit right with her. Because she was absolutely sure that the other person, no matter who the person was, was at pain and alone in this harsh world.

Mimi fell asleep to the words haunting her mind.

* * *

The next day when she woke up she found the words gone and Mimi deduced that maybe she was too tired from studying and that all of it was just part of her dream. With a sigh, she dejectedly went on with her morning routine and came to class for another round of boring lessons.

But by midday, she absentmindedly starts retracing the part of her hand where the marks should have been. Her palm was now clean and pinkish like always and that fact made her feel somewhat melancholic and a bit wistful.

She was tempted to call Koushiro, her childhood best friend, about the eerie phenomenon but decided against it. Koushiro was too much of a skeptic to even believe her. So instead of telling others of the bizarre event, she kept it to herself. In each moment that Mimi will notice someone's eyes trail over at the nonexistent markings on her arm, she would try to pull her leather jacket, in an act of protecting what was hers. The thought of a soulmate was too beautiful for her and that if the previous night's events were true and not a fragment of her fantasies, then maybe, just maybe, there is still magic in the world.

A couple of days after, Mimi lies in her bed expecting to see words paint her palm again. Just like magic, she sees them, but not on her palm but on the insides of her wrist. Still the same writing and still the same strokes but the process makes Mimi breathless for the second time around.

" _How do you spit out the sour taste of pain lingering at the back of your throat?"_

And there it was again, underlying pain hidden by exquisite poetry. Without wasting time, she hopped of the bed and ran to her study table to grab her pink pen. She wouldn't let this opportunity pass just like last time. This time she was determined to prove that her soulmate existed. That this person was not a part of her imagination, a part of something in her that has been longing to feel belonged.

" _Poet?",_ she wrote, wondering if her letters danced just like his does.

She waited with baited breath and when there was no response after an hour, she gave up. Closing her eyes to let sleep take her away, she caught sight of the marks that formed under hers.

" _Almost. Musician."_ Was the curt reply and Mimi pondered if she would feel happy or disappointed by it.

" _Who are you?"_ she almost wrote before deciding against it because it entails telling him her name too. And she wasn't ready to meet the other person yet, not yet when she doesn't know him enough. Instead of replying, she stares at the words before letting sleep pull her to a dream filled with skies falling and planets shaking.

* * *

Yamato Ishida doesn't believe in soulmates. Even if it was common knowledge that it occurred everywhere in the world. He thinks that it was a way for people to keep their hopes up only to be crushed by their expectations.

When he learns that he had one, it completely shook him. The cursive writing on the inside of his wrist was too girly for it to be his brother's but still, he thought that maybe his little brother was playing a prank on him.

"Nice try, Takeru, I knew it was you." Yamato said as he opened the door to his brother's bedroom.

The bewilderment on Takeru's face was a telltale sign that he indeed has a soulmate and he can't help but dread his brother's response.

"You've got a soulmate." Takeru states, glancing at Yamato's outstretched hand. "It's normal."

"It's is not normal." Yamato said, left brow raised and arms crossed.

"Sora has one." Takeru said matter-of-factly while holding his index finger up. "Mom and dad were soulmates." Three fingers were up by the time he finished.

"Takeru, you do realize that both instances ended up badly. Sora was in love with Tai before meeting her soulmate and mom and dad are divorced."

"So? Sora's case is different, you're not in love with anyone at the moment and you can totally avoid mom and dad's case."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Aren't you curious?" Takeru asked as he took a seat in front of his computer.

"The probability of the person being here in Odaiba is about, I don't know, zero?"

"You know what- nevermind."

He returned to his room after Takeru ended their discussion impatiently. He stared at her writings, alarmed by the strangeness of it but curious nevertheless. Her reply was curt and it gave nothing away. Yamato debated if he should ignore her and evade a possible disaster or satisfy his curiosity and allow someone to break down the walls he built for himself.

Deciding against his better judgment, _"Almost. Musician.",_ Yamato replied. It was enough for him. It was a close-ended answer that will probably make the person on the other end feel discouraged and dismayed and it was the type of safe response he could give out that will please him for a long while.

But when the person didn't respond to him that night and the day after, he finds himself upset. So instead of rubbing his hand against his wrist while on his morning shower, he slowly ran over the words with soap, careful not to erase his writings. As well as hers.

* * *

Mimi sat in front of her two best friends on the day of their weekly brunch dates. She can't help but tug the scarf on her neck tighter, a result of feeling the cold from outside seep into the quaint café or maybe a result of the anxiety settling over her, she wasn't sure anymore.

Koushiro raised his left brow at her. As her childhood friend, Mimi was sure Koushiro was the first to catch her fidgeting and restlessness. Instead of voicing out his thoughts, he waited for her to tell him what has been bothering her. Jyou Kido is another case though, he might not have known Mimi for a long time but his cleverness partnered with impatience makes him the most curious person Mimi has ever encountered. He stared at Mimi with a calculating look and before he can ask her to spit out everything, Mimi beat him to it by lifting the sleeves of her wool jacket.

The inscriptions from last night were still on her flesh, as if they were engraved permanently on her. As if they were able to pierce the deeper layers of her skin and never will it be able to resurface. Mimi, no matter how obsessive compulsive she was, didn't have the strength to erase them.

"That's some weird tattoo." Koushiro said nonchalantly, always the practical one. But Jyou frowned at her exposed wrist, clearly disturbed by it.

"It's not a tattoo, Kou." Mimi said with eyes rolled.

"Then, what the hell-"

"It's a sign of a soulmate, Koushiro." Jyou finally said.

Mimi snapped her head towards Jyou's direction, almost too fast that it would surely hurt. Instead of tending to her aching neck, she took notice of the look Jyou gave her. His face was blank, void of any emotions but Mimi could see the pain in his eyes. She frowned at him and Jyou smiled in return albeit lacking the usual gleam.

"Seriously? That again? You know, scientifically, that's impossible." Koushiro reasoned.

"But here it is." Jyou replied and Koushiro held his response back with a tight lip.

Mimi felt conscious on Jyou's lingering gaze on Mimi's wrist. So she hid it underneath her sleeves, yanking it down to reach as far as the center of her palm. She finally regretted deciding to tell Koushiro and Jyou about her problems. Thinking about it now, it would have been better to hide it from them rather than ask them for advice. It was a bit selfish for her too, knowing how it would open up old wounds to one of them.

"Watch over yourself." Jyou looks up, meeting Mimi's troubled eyes. He was strong, smart and once upon a time was filled with passion. He was always buried underneath his books but he always finds time for his friends. Jyou was the kind of elegant that Mimi will always try to level but will fall just an inch short behind. But looking at him now, Mimi sees the sorrow looming over him. He was weary but wiser. Broken. "Even though the world finds you two to be a match. It doesn't mean you're for each other."

With that, Mimi understood the meaning behind the words. He might have his own pain, it doesn't mean hers was the same. But as a friend, it still meant that Jyou was obligated to tell her to protect herself. Mimi nodded in comprehension and gave him a toothy grin. Jyou straightened himself and replaced his frown with a genuine smile at her direction.

"I don't want you getting hurt, is all" Jyou said.

"I won't be." Mimi replied.

"Because you're not going to meet them." Koushiro stated, out of the blue. Jyou and Mimi suddenly jolted at the sound of his voice. Obviously, forgetting his presence. Instead of feeling affronted by being ignored, he gave Mimi a smug look because he knew he read right through her.

"I'm going to." Mimi stopped before adding, "Someday."

"Is this because of the fact that you're afraid of getting rejected?"

Were it anyone else, Mimi would have been offended by the brutal honesty. But Koushiro was Koushiro and he knew her to the last details about herself. He knew that nothing can grab her parent's attention away from their jobs. And that no matter how much they ignore her, she can never truly detest them. Rejection was just a word but it had the power to knock her out of her pedestal. "Shut up, Kou. What happened to science?"

Without waiting for Koushiro's answer, Jyou swiftly tapped his fingers against the wooden table to catch his friends' attention. "How bout we finish our food? I really hate cold pasta."

* * *

Yamato hated covering someone else's shift at the bar. Especially if said shift falls under a Friday because it's the busiest day of the week. But said someone was his best friend who had to take care of his sick mother, he had no choice but to manage the place. Good thing, Friday nights meant there are new local bands playing.

"Yamato, can you take the orders over there while I mix these?" Miyako, Yamato's bespectacled hair color obsessed co-worker, requested.

Yamato snapped up to meet her gaze and gave a nod in response. He kept the spray bottle and cloth underneath the counter before approaching the far end of the bar. By the secluded counter, he noticed a brunette girl sitting on the stools. Her face was turned slightly to watch the performer standing on the stage. The bar maybe packed but the music was soulful and riveting, Yamato can't blame her for not noticing him. She was so engrossed by the performance that Yamato gave her a minute just to observe her. Her delicate brown hair cascaded down her chin, her curls shadowing almost half of her face. Her palm supported her craned neck. Her hair reminded him of hot chocolates on rainy days and albeit somewhat messy was still presentable. As she turned her head to face him, Yamato gave out a smile despite his earlier foul mood.

"What can I get you?" Yamato asked, hiding his embarrassment after realizing that he was staring for quite a while.

"Do you have anything non-alcoholic?" Mimi asked, smiling sheepishly. Yamato was confused.

"Pineapple juice?"

"Then, pineapple juice."

"Okay, be right back."

When he gets back, he hands her her order. He doesn't say anything and neither does she. After an hour or so, Yamato notices her standing up and paying the bills before walking out of the bar. Her crown of brown hair sticking out amongst the throngs of people. She left alone without even talking to anyone who stopped her in her way towards the exit. Yamato had the urge to protect her, just like how he is so inclined to look after his little brother. And before he knows it, she was pushing the exit doors.

After Yamato clocks out of the bar at half past twelve, he notices the marks on his palm.

" _Do you have a new song written?"_

* * *

He notices her again on his regular Wednesday night shift. And again on the next shifts that follows. Yamato wondered if she was a usual costumer who enjoys buying non-alcoholic drinks at the bar alone. She sometimes sits with a smile on, sometimes with a blank look and often times she greets him with a smile that was too halfhearted.

Yamato mostly ignores her, doesn't quell his curiosity and just lets her be for a long time. He just serves her the usual pineapple juice but he occasionally watches over her. A girl alone on a bar does not equate to a good ending but somehow the brunette is pretty good in tending to herself. He starts noticing how she often contorts her face into a scowl on the first sip of her drink but after a few gulps will smile contentedly at it. She sometimes wear her jacket on, sometimes not. If she does wear one, she tugs at them ever so frequently. And she would wait for three performers, brown eyes glimmering with expectations, before standing up and exiting the room.

Yamato takes heed of it again the next time he sees her. When he was supposed to be cleaning the tables, his eyes were secretly darting towards her every now and then. And like clockwork, after the third performer said his thanks, she was out of the door in an instant. Yamato was sure he caught sight of her shoulders dropping.

When Yamato takes his best friend's shift again, he sees her approaching her usual spot. She drops her belongings on the counter and smiles in acknowledgement towards his direction. He takes her usual order and turned around to leave her to her own business. He comes back again to ask if she wanted another glass and she replies with a "Sure."

As he turns around to grab a can from the fridge, she stops him midtrack by encircling his fingers around his wrist, where the currently blank skin used to have a pink "Your words are beautiful." earlier in the day. "What's your name?"

"Yamato."

She smiles, this time reaching her eyes. Seeing her up close for a long time, he notices that her hair didn't remind him of hot chocolates, they reminded him of old wine being pirouetted inside a glass while standing in front of a blazing fireplace. "I'm Mimi." There was a short silence and Yamato tries to shake off the idea of how she reminded him so much of summer and winter all at the same time. "Are you busy? I have some questions."

Yamato glances around the bar and notices that surprisingly, it's not packed for a Friday night. Miyako was currently chatting with one of the regulars and no one will probably come looking for him. He shakes his head no in response, not sure why he bothers to entertain her.

"What do you want to know?" he asks, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Do you have a list of the bands that will perform next week?"

"Not that I know of, you should ask Miyako. She's in charge of that." He replied, thumb pointing towards the purple-haired girl.

She nods in understanding and Yamato finds himself perplexed. "Why are you always here every night?"

Mimi wrinkles the skin on her forehead while rubbing her chin with her fingers, trying to look for answers. Yamato finds her actions odd but doesn't comment about it. "I'm sort of dumpster diving for up and coming superstars." She states as if she doesn't find her words strange at all.

Instead of probing her, Yamato laughs at her antics. The kind of laugh he rarely gives out nowadays. The kind of laugh he gives out when there's a new witty reply on his forearm. And before he knows it, they were conversing for a while before Yamato returns to his post. When he notices her standing up from her spot, he nods in farewell with his heart beating and stopping at the same time.

* * *

Mimi wasn't sure when they started becoming friends. She was just sure that her regular visits to the pub in search of her secret soulmate led to her close connection with the blond whose eyes makes her think of midnight stormy oceans. And God, does it make her want to stare at them till the end of eternity just to be sure that they were real.

She knew that they knew each other pretty well by now. Mimi sees him weekly ever since their introduction. He shares to her a fragment of his life every now and then and she tells him about hers. She tells him about how she hates her business classes and would definitely shift to culinary school in a heartbeat. She tells him that she's only taking the course just to please her parents and that she will forever be conflicted between living her family's wish and turning her dreams into realities.

Her soulmate hasn't written anything new for the past few days. But by Wednesday morning, Mimi finds "All her life she will be divided, with her feet in the Styx and her head in the stars." written in bold letters on her forearm. The air from her lungs were suddenly sucked out and her eyes darkened. It frightened her. It hit her right in the gut because of its exactness. It frightened the life out of her because it felt too real.

By nighttime, she was on her way towards Digital World, the bar she frequented. The mid-December air was getting chillier every day. She didn't bother removing her leather jacket as she entered the bar. The coldness from outside entered the room.

"Slow night?" she asks and the blond nods in her direction. He was still wearing his jacket too.

"The usual?" Yamato asked, like how close friends would do.

"The usual."

She sipped her drink and immediately their conversation ran its natural course with the occasional jabs and banters. Mimi's playfully teases him and Yamato would usually brood and glare at her. They talk and find their familiar rhythm in which they enjoyed too much.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could come on Christmas Eve to watch us perform. Since you're not going home for the holidays and all." Yamato said out of nowhere.

Mimi, caught off guard, raises a perfectly arched brow. "Perform?"

"Yeah, I'm sort of in a band." Yamato said, scratching the back of his neck.

Mimi was stunned. The possibility was low and she didn't want to keep her hopes up. She tried her best to control herself from asking Yamato to lift the sleeves of his coat. She wanted to, God she wanted to so badly but she was scared because she might not see black ink marring his flesh. And then it hit her. Mimi wanted it to be him. Mimi wanted Yamato to be his soulmate. But begging the world for it to be him was too self-centered. The fact that she had a soulmate was a miracle enough, she didn't need to complicate things. She didn't need to hurt her soulmate just like Jyou was hurt by his. So instead of voicing out her thoughts, she replies, "You didn't tell me you were in a band."

"Sorry, it slipped."

Mimi sighs in defeat and calms herself. "Sure, I would love to."

* * *

The days before Christmas Eve rolled past fast and Mimi doesn't find anything new on her skin. On the day of Yamato's performance, she wears loose clothing, knowing that Digital World would be jam-packed than usual. As she heads out, she grabs her coat and closes the door behind her.

Mimi sits in her corner of the room. A bit far from the stage but enough to see the performers. She sees Yamato ascending the stairs before setting their instruments up. He's in a simple white shirt and dark denim jeans. She notices his hair was shorter now compared to the last time she saw him. It suited him better. Mimi can't help but marvel at how beautiful he was. Her chest ached at the sight of him and she doesn't pay any attention to it.

Yamato introduces the band and without any delay started playing his bass guitar. The tune was low, the bass dominated the other instruments. Unlike the previous artists, Yamato's band was more on the mellow side. Mimi loved the tune instantly. It reminded her of home and scented candles. And before she concluded that she loved Yamato's voice already, she notices the familiar lyrics.

" _The sky has fallen_

 _The ground has been shaken_

 _Tell me,_

 _How do you keep standing still?"_

Her closed eyes flashed open. Mimi stared at Yamato who was too absorbed with singing to notice her. The corner of her eyes uncharacteristically started forming little drops of water. She was too moved that she almost forgot how to breathe. And before she knows it, her cheeks were painted with salty tears. Mimi wipes them away and looks for Miyako. She asks the girl for a pen and waited for the song to come to an end.

" _I found you."_ she writes on her palm and she waits with baited breath for him to notice. And like all the things that happened in the recent months, Yamato was pulled by magic to stare at his hand. Mimi prayed for him to look at her direction. Because only then would she be sure that he was hoping it would be her too.

Mimi waited and waited. And as Yamato looks up, his head moved side to side and then his blue eyes landed immediately on her wine-colored ones. He only sees her amongst blurred faces. He eyed her with certainty and mouths at her direction, _"Of course, it's you"._

In a matter of minutes, Mimi sees Yamato approaching her. His smile never faltered and neither does hers. She clutched her palms tightly and she let her gaze fell on his hands just to catch sight of the words she wrote.

"Want to grab a late dinner with me?" Yamato asked.

"Sure." was her prompt reply.

As Yamato and Mimi bared the freezing winter on the streets, their hands were intertwined. Their souls were also intertwined. Both thought of how it was enough to keep the both of them warm. They walked in silence towards a diner located just a block from the bar.

The two of them sat side by side on the diner chair. Their hands still clasped tightly on top of the table. Yamato set Mimi's hand down, palm facing up. He sees her writings, the exact same one on his. He traced the marks slowly causing the hair on Mimi's back to stand up.

"I'm scared of this. But I'm happy it was you." Yamato breathed heavily. "Can I kiss you?"

Past conversations flew past Mimi's eyes, the pain, the worries and the doubts. She shook them away and finally allowed her heart to ache in a good way. There is still magic left in the world. Mimi nodded while stating clearly the word, "Yes".

With her approval, Yamato leaned his face towards hers as he captured her lips on his. They kiss but not quite. Her skin felt cold, a bit dry from the season but beautiful nonetheless. He heard her sigh as she felt his lips on hers. Her breath caressed his lips ever so lightly and he took it as cue to kiss her fully.

"I'm happy it was you too."

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you liked it enough to leave a review. I always want to know what parts I missed out and what parts I need to improve. Aside from that, I don't know if you notice the Jyoura Easter egg. If not, then yes, there is a Jyoura Easter egg. *winks*

The line "All her life she will be divided, with her feet in the Styx and her head in the stars." do not belong to me, it's by Amber Sparks. Mimi's story is inspired by that quote because I love it too much. And I love angsty Mimato.

I'm actually writing a new Mimato AU right now so I hope I'll upload it as soon as I finish it.


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